I was 41 in September. Starting shooting a solid glass "Brown Bear" when I was 12. When I was 14, I started hunting deer with a Bear Super Magnum "48" I bought that bow from the Bear museum/pro shop in Grayling MI. I hunted with that bow for 3 or 4 years and took my first two deer with it. I then switched to a compound because it seemed that that was the thing to do. I bought a Darton Trailmaster and I hunted with that bow for about 17 or 18 years. At that time I bought another compound, a Jennings Quest. Had all the toys on that one, red dot scope even. I really liked that bow, but after taking a few deer with it it just seemed a little boring. After last season, just for the heck of it I picked up a recurve that belonged to the owner of our local archery shop. Fired a few arrows with it and I guess I was just hooked. Shooting that thing felt like it did when I was a kid. Within a few weeks, I purchased an older Bear Grizzly and shot that for a few months. Thinking that I wanted something a little heavier for hunting with, I purchased a Chek-mate Falcon from a guy that I had been talking to on a bulletin board. The bow was new, never been shot, 54# @ 28". What a sweet little shooter. I shot that bow all summer and was committed to hunt with it this fall. In the meantime, I enjoyed shooting that Falcon so much that I decided to order another one a little lighter weight and a little fancier. Well, I orderd a Falcon Special, Cocobolo riser, red elm limbs, clear glass and some really pretty overlays. Because my bow was not here for hunting season, I hunted with the other Falcon and managed to take a nice Michigan 5pt on the opening day of the season. I might ad that somewhere in there I started making my own cedar arrows and that is what I used to hunt with.

To make a long story real short, I haven't sold my compound, probably won't, but I can't ever see going back to it. As I said, shooting the recurve actually brings back the excitement for archery that I had when I was a kid. I can literally shoot for hours and never tire. Never wanted to do that with the compound.

As far as tips go, I'm a relative newcomer myself so I could use the tips myself. If I could give one tip that was given to me it would be this. Unlike shooting the compound, where even on a bad day you are very accurate, shooting the recurve is a lot different. Some days it feels like I literally cant miss. Somedays it is the exact opposite. For whatever reason, some days it is just not there. You're best off setting your bow down and coming back tomorrow. Don't try to shoot through it...it will only get worse. The fellow that got me started told me this. He is what I would consider to be a superb shot and even he has days when it just doesnt work.

Keep it fun and if you would indulge me, one more thing. This is a pet peave of mine. It seems that for whatever reason some of the people that shoot traditional equipment are on some sort of elitist ego trip. Trad shooters in my opinion are no better, no more ethical, no more sportsmanlike than any of our counterparts that shoot a compound. We just choose to shoot different equipment for a multitude of reasons reasons. Try not to let it be anything more than that.

JMHO

KPC